Canada Vs USA

suzanne4, RN · May 19, 2004

You can get your obstetrics training in just a few months in the U.S.

suzanne4, RN · May 19, 2004

You can get your obstetrics training in just a few months in the U.S.

Salaries are much higher. Depending on where you want to work in Canada, some provinces are now requiring a 4 year degree, such as Ontario.......

:balloons:

Clarissa26 · May 19, 2004

I can't afford to go to the states for a few months without working to get my obstetrics and paediatrics hours, it would take me forever to save up the money needed for not only the courses but also living expenses. I wish I could do it, it would make things easier.

We have some agencies advertising for nurses to go to Canada, mostly in BC, but some other places. If places keep making it harder to get into they won't get any nurses to go there from overseas. I understand they want to have quality over quantity, but the harder you make the less people are even going to bother trying, let alone get in.

suzanne4, RN · May 19, 2004

Put your thinking cap on......................and go outside the box, if you need to. When will you be done with your schooling there, or are you?

Perhaps you can get a hospital to sponsor you for those classes, just like they do for some American students, in return for working for a certain length of time. Much better than freezing in BC in the winter. If you have already completed your schooling there, and you don't need English, you are 3/4 of the way there.................

Unless you like to give up that easy.........I have always liked a good challenge :balloons:

fergus51 · May 19, 2004

Most Canadian provinces require OB and Peds experience in your program as well. If you are interested in BC you can go to RNABC's website and see the info for registration. I think it's http://www.rnabc.org or http://www.rnabc.ca . Vancouver and Victoria are both very temperate and rarely get snow and filled with expats. It's not freezing there at all. I love BC and would move back in a second if there were a different government in place....

lalaxton · May 19, 2004

Yes, not all of BC is freezing! I would rather be in BC than in Ontario anytime! Wages in Canada are not always less than the US. It all depends on the cost of living (which is higher in Canada) , taxes (which are higher in Canada but I would argue that you get more for your money in Canada) etc. I know some RN's here in Ontario who make 6 figures with overtime. It can also be done in the US.

Clarissa26 · May 20, 2004

I have changed my plans a little, I have decided to go to the UK at the end of the year for a while, I am sure if I can't find a course here to cover my obstetrics and paeds, I'll find something there. It will also get me acclimatised to the cold as I think I'll got to Canada after that, then the USA if I think it is for me. It is just so frustrating when you really want to go somewhere and it seems something so little could hold you up for ages, but the more people I talk to the more hints they have about the courses so hopefully I'll find something, maybe even before my trip to the UK.

To answer your question, I finished my training as an RN last year. We only have 3 year degrees here, no 4 year ones, but that is what I am assuming is accepted in the USA as it is a bachelor of nursing and people have been forom here with that. I am also hoping it is the same for Canada. As I understand it there are a couple of ways to become a registered nurse over in the USA, but we only have the one way, the degree.

Thanks for all your comments though, it's good to see different perspectives, some people don't even want to entertain the idea of something other than the status quo so go a bit nuts promoting that.

Thanks again

lalaxton · May 20, 2004

Yes, the requirement for entry to practice in Canada as of 2005 is a BSN.

Clarissa26 · May 21, 2004

Just wish I knew for sure if my degree is equivalent to the BSN in Canada and the USA, I have just never been able to find anything on comparing them.

suzanne4, RN · May 21, 2004

Just wish I knew for sure if my degree is equivalent to the BSN in Canada and the USA, I have just never been able to find anything on comparing them.

first it depends on whether your program offers college credits................

second, you must have the areas of mental health, peds, maternal health completed to qualify for sitting for the exam.

whether your hours transferred to complete the requirements for a BSN would be up to the individual school after assessing your previous curriculum.

lalaxton · May 21, 2004

Clarissa,

The best way to find out is to get in touch with the College of Nurses in the province your interested in going to. For instance here in Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario would be the best to tell you if your degree is equivalent. They have a web page and you could probably communicate with them by email.

Good luck!